'Glee' First Listen Friday: The Warblers take us on an emotional ride

FOXThe Dalton Academy Warblers will perform "Candles" and "Raise Your Glass" at the Regionals competition in the upcoming "Original Songs" episode set to air March 15.

Why do you do what you do to me, Warblers?

When I first heard that Glee's Dalton Academy Warblers would be taking on Pink’s “Raise Your Glass” and Maroon 5’s “Misery”, I knew it would be good.

But I didn’t know it could be this good.

Week after week these boys have proven to not only have wonderful voices but they also have the most incredible harmonization. Oh, and they’re a capella. So while some people jump to conclusions about the use of drums or other instruments, think again. When you think you hear drums it’s only further proof that Warblers are a force to be reckoned with.

There are still a few songs yet to be released by Glee, perhaps we’ll have to wait until Tuesday to hear Aural Intensity’s Regionals selection, but there are five more songs in addition to the already released “Get It Right” and “Loser Like Me.” And you know what? That’s just fine with us because we’ll be dancing and crying to the new Warblers songs all weekend.

Candles (originally performed by Hey Monday): The first thing I notice is the harmony. I have never heard this song before so when it was announced that the Warblers would be covering it, I decided to wait for their version. I’m glad I did. The lyrics are cheesy and not well-crafted but it doesn’t matter. The Warblers could sing “Blah Blah de Blah” and somehow it would have the ability to knock us off our feet. The song is led vocally by Blaine (Darren Criss) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) and although it’s a breakup song, this version sounds more like Blaine and Kurt against the world. Fans are wishing, hoping, and speculating that Blaine and Kurt will dance around each other during this Regionals performance and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping for the same thing. Interestingly, in contrast with last week’s fiercely sexy “Animal”, “Candles” is more understated and romantic. Could this be the balance of Blaine (who led on “Animal”) who embraces his sexuality but fails with romance and Kurt (who leads on “Candles”) whose sexy faces look like “gas pains” but longs for the gentle caress of fingertips?

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Raise Your Glass (originally performed by Pink): This cover reminds me of the first song the Warblers sang. “Teenage Dream” was catchy, exciting, energetic, and there was something about it that made it nearly impossible to stop listening to. Similarly, “Raise Your Glass” is electric and even as I write this I wish I was listening to the song again. I won’t disclose just how many times I’ve listened to it already but I wouldn’t be surprised if it broke into my iTunes most played songs by the end of the day. There’s just something thrilling about hearing Darren Criss sing “oh hot damn” and “my glass is empty… that sucks.” I will admit that the only thing that could have made it better was hearing Darren Criss tackle the guitar sound in the same way Pink does. I love the original song and have a history of playing it at unnaturally high volumes but the Warblers, once again, are able to turn a song that’s still on the pop charts and transform it into a new, electrifying musical experience.

Blackbird (originally performed by The Beatles): I hope you have a box of tissues nearby when you listen to this song. Music does not usually have the ability to make me cry. I listen to sad songs and feel melancholy but I rarely, if ever, cry because of a song. Or, at least, that was my story until I heard Chris Colfer sing “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in “Grilled Cheesus.” Like the last Beatles song Kurt performed, I couldn’t help but feel weepy halfway through the song. Chris Colfer has such a phenomenal voice that writing about it does no justice. He is a performer you must hear to believe because he does more than sing songs. He makes you feel the music. When I remembered the assumed context for the song, Pavarotti’s funeral, the emotions ran even deeper. My only hope, dream, and wish for this song is that Blaine is accompanying Kurt’s vocals with his guitar. There is absolutely nothing negative to say about this cover.

FOXNew Directions will perform the original songs "Loser Like Me" and "Get It Right" at the Regionals competition.

Hell To The No (an original Glee song): There are few words to describe lyrics “They tried to take away my tots, I said ‘hell to the no.’” After being taken on an emotional rollercoaster with the Warbler songs, listening to this was almost a relief. “Hell to the No” has become a Mercedes tagline. She says it for the first time in the pilot episode and it’s stuck ever since. Without realizing what I was doing, I found myself nodding along to the beat. It’s a fun performance, definitely something you can shake your grove thang to, but it pales in comparison with the other songs released today.

Misery (originally performed by Maroon 5): From the first “oh yeah” to the very last note, I was transformed into another world where all that I can hear or think about is this song. As a Maroon 5 fan, I was excited to hear that they would be featured on Glee. But when I found out the Warblers would be singing “Misery”? I nearly shattered a window with my high-pitched squeals. Really, it was embarrassing. This is one song in particular in which some people are saying they hear instrumentals. So, again, I remind anyone who listens to the cover that the Warblers perform a capella. I’ve heard a lot of speculation about the context of this song, most notably that it appears in one of Blaine’s dreams as he realizes his true feelings for Kurt, but I don’t really care how they choose to perform it. The cover is spectacular and as long as there’s some indication of Klaine in the performance, I’ll be a very happy camper. But I will now reiterate the question I asked before: Why do you do what you do to me, Warblers? It’s just not fair.

Best song of the episode: Normally, I would pick just one song but I can’t. “Misery”, “Raise Your Glass”, “Blackbird”, and “Candles” are by far the most powerful songs in the upcoming episode. As I was comparing them to “Get It Right” and “Loser Like Me”, I wondered how on earth New Directions could beat the Warblers. Then I remembered; the judges are going to be judging the performances as anthems as we learned in Comeback. They’re looking for a song that defines the group. My guess is that while the Warblers might have better songs and stronger vocals, the meaning of the New Directions songs is what helps them get the edge. And word of advice, I highly suggest listening to the songs in the following order to avoid any possible emotional overload: “Candles”, “Blackbird”, “Raise Your Glass”, and finish with “Misery.”

What song are you looking forward to most, Gleeks? What do you think will happen during the Regionals competition?